Jaundice in Adults (cont.)

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.

Bhupinder S. Anand, MBBS, MD, DPHIL (OXON)

Dr. Anand received MBBS degree from Medical College Amritsar, University of Punjab. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Postgraduate Institute of medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. He was trained in the field of Gastroenterology and obtained the DPhil degree. Dr. Anand is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

Post-hepatic causes

Jaundice from a post-hepatic cause arises from a disruption (an obstruction)
in the normal drainage and excretion of conjugated bilirubin in the form of bile
from the liver into the intestine. This leads to increased levels of conjugated
bilirubin in the bloodstream. Conditions that can cause post-hepatic jaundice
include:

What are the symptoms of jaundice in adults?

As already mentioned, jaundice is not a disease, but rather a visible sign of
an underlying disease process. Individuals with jaundice will have a yellow
discoloration of the skin to varying degrees, and may also exhibit yellowing of
the mucous membranes and of the white of the eyes. However, depending on the
underlying cause of the jaundice, individuals may experience different symptoms.
Some individuals may have very few, if any, symptoms at all, while others may
experience more severe and pronounced symptoms. Individuals with jaundice may
experience any of the following signs and symptoms: